


Whipped (Cream)

by unluckyladybug



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, I mean sort of, Implied Seo Changbin, Implied Yang Jeongin | I.N, M/M, Minho is a good friend, changbin and jeongin are very briefly mentioned, i just wanted woochan fluff, there’s a mention of them being in university idk, this is just a mess tbh, this is so short i’m so sorry, those tags are purely for my own amusement, who hates dumb boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 03:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18241064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unluckyladybug/pseuds/unluckyladybug
Summary: Chris looked at the sandwich, bewildered, and then up at Woojin. “What is this?”“It’s a sandwich.” Woojin stated as blandly as possibly, unwrapping his own.A very short WooChan coffee shop AU





	Whipped (Cream)

**Author's Note:**

> this is literally not proofread at all. you have been warned.

There he was again, the one who came in every Tuesday and Thursday. Woojin looked away from wiping off the back counter as the door chimed, and in walked Chris Bang in all his fluffy bedheaded glory. He wore a tired frown, quietly huffing as he hefted his bag higher up on his shoulder. When he spotted Woojin, however, his entire face broke into a cute smile. It was impossible not to smile back.

“Good morning, Chris.” The taller boy greeted politely, a soft smile adorning his features as he came to the front counter. “You’re in luck, Ashley was here this morning and Mrs. Park hasn’t been in yet.”

Chris lit up like a firework, much more energy in his step than there’d been a moment ago. “Morning Wooj!” He returned, just as polite if not a little more casual. “Does that mean my favorite blueberry muffins are still here?”

Usually Mrs. Park, a middle-aged woman with a love for black coffee and pastries, bought every blueberry muffin they had when Ashley made them. Woojin never questioned what she did with all of them, even if he secretly wanted to know.

“They’re waiting in the case just for you.” Woojin liked talking to Chris. He was one of the few customers that were easy to handle and pleasant to have a conversation with. He ordered pretty much the same thing every time, a large ice water and whatever caught his eye in the pastry display. The blueberry muffins, he confided to Woojin, were his absolute favorite. Sometimes he would hide one away just to see Chris’s dimpled smile when he told him they had one left.

They were friends, he guessed. Probably closer than most people who only talked two days out of the week would be. He kind of liked it. Kind of liked Chris.

The shorter boy moved over to the display, as if to reaffirm that the muffins were indeed there, eyes sparkling as he spotted his precious pastries. Woojin pressed his lips together to hold back a smile, amused at Chris’s antics. He was so easy to please, and effortlessly charming, Woojin would be lying if he said he didn’t have a tiny crush on him.

“In that _case_ ,” Woojin groaned as Chris laughed at his own pun, “I’d like two blueberry muffins, please.”

“Oh _two_ , I see we’re splurging today.”

“I deserve it! I’ve been working hard.”

Woojin knows he has. He’s in here every week, never later than 9 am, and he always looks a little haggard. His eye bags, he can tell, aren’t the kind born from late night ragers or clubbing marathons. They’re more likely from pulling all-nighters, studying into the early morning, and staring at his screen for far too long if the occasional appearances of his prescription glasses are anything to go by. He finds time in there to work out as well. Woojin knows this because he’s seen Chris’s arms when he wore a tank top a couple times this past summer. And oh what arms they are.

“I’m sure you have.” Woojin replies with a hint of sarcasm, just to see him huff cutely.

“A large ice water too, please.” Chris adds, though he doesn’t have to. Woojin has always found it a bit odd that Chris comes to a coffee shop and yet never orders coffee, but like Mrs. Park he just doesn’t question it. Everyone has their little eccentricities.

Woojin chooses the largest, blueberriest muffins of the bunch and puts them in a paper bag for Chris, writing his name on it along with a little smiley face. It had been mildly embarrassing the first time he’d done it, he hadn’t fully understood that Chris had been joking when he’d asked him to draw a smiley face next to his name, but was now somewhat of a tradition. The Aussie boy hands over his total in exact change like always, and like always he sneaks a five dollar bill into the tip jar when Woojin turns to grab his muffins and drink. Except Woojin knows he does it, because he always has this smug little grin on his face when he does.

“Good luck with that track, Chris.” The other beams at him.

“Thanks! I’m almost done with it, you should come listen on your break.” Woojin nods, and he likely will. That’s just how things go between the two of them.  
  


Woojin and Chris were in the same music theory class their sophomore year of university. Chris remembers, he’s not sure if Woojin does. He remembers very vividly the boy with dark hair and a kind smile that sat directly in front of him every day. The neat sloping of his handwriting, the spread of his fingers when he raised his hand, the innate smoothness of his voice that first tipped Chris off to the fact that he was a singer even if he’d never said so.

Minho, their apparent mutual friend (and how _that_ had happened Chris will never understand), rolled his eyes every time the other was brought up. “If you think he’s cute why not just talk to him?” Like it was that easy. “It _is_ that easy.” Shut up, Minho.

Every day he’d watch with sad puppy eyes as Woojin in all his cute i-can-make-just-a-tshirt-and-jeans-look-good glory make his way across the courtyard to the arts department.

(“He’s in the choir.” Minho informed him.

“I knew it.”

His friend pulled a face. “Chris you’re kind of a creep.”)

They never actually interacted, regardless of how many times Chris practiced asking Woojin to sing on one of his tracks. Every time he got even close to talking to the older boy, his confidence seemingly shriveled up and died and he either scurried away or just hunched back in his seat. This had as much to do with the fact that he had the social skills of a stick of butter as it had to do with his massive crush.

He kind of figured that it would just go away on its own after a while, but for some reason that never really happened. He continued to stare at the back of Woojin’s head and daydream about what it would be like if they were friends, sometimes even what it would be like to date him. Then they’d be dismissed, and he would realize he wrote down exactly none of the notes and he’d have to get them later from his friend Bambam who took the same course in a different time slot.

It was in his third year of university that he actually talked to Woojin for the first time, when he visited his favorite coffee shop to say hi to his favorite dongsaeng only to find him replaced with the very-handsome-in-an-apron Kim Woojin.

“You’re not Changbin.” He’d blurted out without thinking, and Woojin to his credit had taken it in stride even as Chris’s face slowly turned a rather impressive shade of red.

“No, sorry,” he’d replied with a polite little smile and Chris had wanted to _scream_ , “Changbin doesn’t work here anymore.”

Chris remembered suddenly that Changbin had _graduated high school_ last month (he’d gone to his graduation! How did he forget?) and was moving into the dorms soon. And now that he’s thinking about it, he remembers Changbin contemplating quitting his job to focus on school until he got used to university.

“Right. Sorry. I’m uh— I’m really sorry.” Chris stumbled over his words and internally cringed at himself, but Woojin just continued to smile patiently.

“No worries. Can I get you anything not Changbin-related?” He actually cracked a smile at that, some of his embarrassment fading.

Chris glanced over at the case of pastries and took a couple moments to decide.

“Can I have one raspberry tart and a large ice water please?”

“Will that be all for you?” Chris nodded and squeaked out a yes that was a little too fast and a little too quiet. He did that often when talking to cashiers or waitstaff, either as a consequence of anxiety or simply a bad habit. Thankfully, the other made no comment and simply rung him up. “Name, please?” He gave it and Woojin wrote it on a brown paper bag. When he turned away, Chris slipped a five dollar bill into the tip jar on the counter. “Here you are, one raspberry tart and one large ice water.”

“Thank you very much, have a nice day.”

“You too!”

Chris took his paper bag and plastic cup and moved to set up his laptop at one of the many empty tables just as someone else came in and stole Woojin’s attention. For hours he sat there and worked, occasionally getting up to use the restroom or ask for a refill on his water, trying to navigate his way around the most recent track he was putting together. By the time it was nearing 6pm and he knew they’d be closing in half an hour, he was incredibly satisfied with his progress.

He put all his things away and very carefully swept his crumbs into the paper bag, smiling at the cute way his name was written. The curly haired boy made his way to the door and was about to leave when a voice stopped him.

“Have a good evening, Chris!” He quickly turned back to see Woojin smiling at him. Chest warming just slightly, he smiled back.

“See you later, Woojin!” The other boy gave him a short wave and he was out. And thus began a tradition of sorts.

  


“You really need to eat something else while you’re here.” Woojin fretted over him for the umpteenth time. “And stop tipping me, you’re broke. I've had half a mind to put it back in your bag when you’re not looking.”

Chris whined and hid his bag behind his back. “Five dollars isn’t a big deal! Besides, it’s what you do when people give you good service!”

“You pay less for your actual order, Chris. And the only service I provide for you is filling a cup with ice and water and writing your name on a bag.”

“Sounds like good service to me.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Woojin rolled his eyes. “If you don’t eat something besides a single pastry next time you come in, I’ll make you.”

True to his word, the next time Chris came in and worked through several hours Woojin sat himself right next to him and set a wrapped sandwich in front of him. “Eat.”

Chris looked at the sandwich, bewildered, and then up at Woojin. “What is this?”

“It’s a sandwich.” Woojin stated as blandly as possibly, unwrapping his own.

“No I mean— what are you doing, Wooj?” That was a recent development. The nickname had slipped out once by accident and Chris had apologized profusely until he realized Woojin was laughing at him. That was also when they’d sort of officially-unofficially established themselves as friends. They still didn’t see each other outside of the shop, and they didn’t have each other’s numbers either, but they both enjoyed the dynamic too much to want to disturb it.

“Eating a sandwich.” He shot back. “Like you should be doing.”

Chris pouted at him and picked up the sandwich dubiously. “How do you know I’m not allergic to anything in this?”

“Minho said you’re not allergic to anything.” Dammit. Chris forgot they were friends sometimes.

“Woojin I can't just take this sandwich.” The elder rolled his eyes as he chewed through his bite.

“You’re not taking it. I gave it to you. It’s yours now. You can't take something that’s already yours.” Chris pouted harder. “Come on, hurry up. I only have so long on break and I want to make sure you eat it and don’t just slip it into your bag when I go back to the counter.” Double dammit! They’d really gotten to know each other a little too well the past few months.

“Alright, alright, fine.” Chris unwrapped the sandwich and made a show of taking a big bite before going back to his laptop. It only lasted a minute before he was back to the sandwich, because holy hell he had not realized how hungry he was.

Woojin didn’t say anything, but he had that smug look on his face that told Chris everything he needed to know about what the other was thinking.

There was a bit of an awkward lull after Chris savagely wolfed down his delicious sandwich, and now he felt a bit guilty. Woojin had either bought or made a sandwich specifically for him, and he didn’t have any way to repay him. There’s no way he could give him actual money and if he even thought about leaving a bigger tip he was half afraid Woojin would hunt him down just to give it back. Wracking his brain, Chris settled on the one solution he could think of.

“Do you—“ He paused and flushed a bit, out of nerves but also in part because of how cute Woojin looked even when he was eating. “Do you want to listen to the track I’ve been working on?”

He swore the other boy’s eyes started sparkling as he quickly swallowed down the bite in his mouth. “You make music?”

Chris nodded a bit shyly.

“I would love to.” Woojin frowned. “But my break is pretty much over. Next time?”

The following Tuesday brought another sandwich, Chris almost dying listening to Woojin compliment his music, and a resurfacing of the urge to ask Woojin to sing for him, now even worse than before.

  


“I dunno, Min. What if he gets to know me and realizes I’m super boring?” The dancer groaned and flopped back on Woojin’s bed.

“First of all, Wooj, you’re not boring. Second, I’m telling you Chris has been into you for a _year and a half_ , if he was going to get bored of you I’d think it would’ve happened before now.” He knew that. Of course he did, Minho was a rat and never kept anything to himself. He’d known Chris had had a crush on him practically as long as Minho had, and while he’d thought it was cute he hadn’t known much about Chris at the time to really say anything one way or the other. Now that they were much closer, though, and he’d gotten to know him for his kindness and his determination and his admittedly gorgeous smile, he couldn’t deny that he felt something too. A lot of things, if the volume of Minho’s complaints were anything to go by. Woojin still looked unconvinced, and a little self conscious, and damn him Minho was too soft hearted for this. He sighed and sat up, leaning into his friend’s side. “Hey, you two are friends. He lets you listen to his music, that’s big for him. He wants to impress you. Chris _likes_ you, Wooj. Just trust me on this one.”

Woojin sighed, but smiled nonetheless. “Thanks, Min. I’ll ask him next time I see him.”

Maybe boys weren’t so stupid, after all.

As Minho was walking back to his own dorm, belly full of Woojin’s cooking and feeling lighter for having reassured his friend, he got a text. The contact name told him it was from Chris, and he unlocked his phone to see what it was about.

**_Koala Man:_ **

     _min_

_i might’ve impulsively bleached my hair_

_does woojin like blond guys?_

 

Nevermind. Boys are the worst.

  


When Chris came in incredibly early on Tuesday with a beanie tugged low over his head, Woojin wasn’t sure what he expected. Him ripping it off to reveal platinum blond hair? Was not anywhere even in the realm of guesses.

“Well. That’s different.” Chris dramatically threw himself down on the counter with a wail.

“I knew it, you think I make an ugly blond!” Woojin suppressed a snort and gently patted Chris’s head.

“I don’t think you make an ugly blond. I just wasn’t expecting it.” Chris peeked up at him from where his face was buried in his arms, and Woojin couldn’t see the lower half of his face but if he could he just knew he’d be pouting.

“You really don’t hate it?”

The elder shook his head. “I kind of like it, actually. And besides, it’s hair. It grows back. If it was really awful it’s not like it’s permanent.”

“Would you still like me even if it was awful and permanent?”

Woojin, uncharacteristically bashful as he looked down at the counter, wrung his hands with a light flush on his cheeks and a small smile. “It’d be hard to make me not like you.”

Chris’s mouth dropped open in a small o, a rather furious blush painting his cheeks as his eyes widened. “O-oh. I’ll try not to make you regret saying that.” He gave a rough laugh and leaned back away from the counter, playing with the beanie in his hands. They both stood in awkward silence for a long moment.

“Chris?” The shorter boy snapped to attention, blush darkening further.

“Y-yes?” Stutter number two, he was really on a roll now. And oh god. The look Woojin was giving him was really bad for his health, the way it made his heart do acrobatics in his chest. That soft smile and those kind eyes, no wonder he’s been whipped for so long.

“Can I take you out for lunch sometime?”

“ _Me_?” Chris asked incredulously, as if there were another Chris around Woojin could be asking. Woojin huffed fondly and rolled his eyes.

“Yes, you. I like you and I’d really like to take you on a date. Lunch?”

Chris was glad that at least one of them had the ability to be straightforward, even if the sound of Woojin asking to take him on a date made him equal parts nervous and giddy as hell.

“Yes, I— I would like that a lot.” The serene smile that answered him made him feel like he’d captured a star and sealed it away in his chest, every inch of him warm and buzzing.

“Give me your number so we can work something out.” Woojin handed him a napkin and a pen and Chris tried not to let the way his mind totally blanked out for a moment embarrass him.

The rest of the day felt like he was walking on clouds, and this time when Woojin’s break rolled around and he inevitably came to sit down with him, he didn’t even bother to hide the way it made his heart jump. Even if Jeongin, one of Woojin’s shiftmates, made retching sounds behind the counter every time he caught them making eyes at each other.

  


(That evening when Minho returned to his dorm from dance, he had two texts waiting for him.

**_Koala Man:_ **

_i hope you know i’m never going to shut up about this_

 

**_Big Baby Bear:_ **

_thanks for not letting me be a dumbass_

 

He smiled to himself. Okay, so maybe boys _could_ be trusted.)


End file.
